moonra’s top 2014 listens

This last month has been an avalanche of music listening, although exciting, mentally tolling while listening with a critical ear when evaluating what will end up on my year end list. 2014 seems to have been the transition phase of exclusively purchasing music on vinyl (unless not available) for home listening while continuously streaming music via phone and computer. I think it has been a very exciting year for music, trimming at least 25+ off of my lists, so trust me the choices are made are intentional as well as critical. I also matched a pick with Mike, John, Tim and Brent, hope you guys look deeper into these. Finally, I apologize ahead of time (zorro) if any of these releases were pre-2014, I know how upsetting that can be. 🙂 (Oh yeah, also apologize for the shitty videos, wish I could just post audio)

Must have:
I’m Just Like You: Sly’s Stone Flower 1969-70.

This release was in my hands for purchase seconds after discovering it on the featured shelf at a local record store. Although quite different at times from the Family Stone, Sly’s producer role is not only brilliant but genius. The instrumentals are as good as everything else. Don’t let this one slip by. Teaser!

Should listen: Buck Owens – Early Recordings (Jan. 2014) Yes, there are hundreds of releases of Buck Owens’ music, however, this one became one of my ole friends. This digital release became the perfect alternative and easy go to from all the time, just had to share! Why Don’t My Mommy Stay with My Daddy and Me

LP’s (10)
1. TV On The Radio – Seeds.   It seems these guys have the Jagger/Richards, McCartney/Lennon, Stanley/Simmons 🙂 magic touch of music, everything they touch seems to turn out awesome, same with this album. Listen to the obvious ones: Careful You and Happy Idiot they are hard to leave alone.
2. The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Revelation.  They mastered their sound, and continuously reshape it to produce meaningful and moving songs. I probably listened to this 2014 release more than any other. Memory Camp and Vad Hände Med Dem?
3. Parquet Courts – Content Nausea.   Finally, a current band that can channel early Devo without completely becoming consumed with it’s commitment, they’re all over the place – my favorite type of band. Zorro, this one’s for you. Everyday it starts and Pretty Machines
4. Swans – To Be Kind. wow. A Little God in my hands
5. Naomi Sheton & The Gospel Queens – Cold World.   Solid and amazing and voice! Heaven is Mine and I Don’t know.
6. The Durutti Column – Chronical LX: XL.   Fanfare (Mike)
7. ZU – Goodnight, Civilization.
8. Zig Zags – s/t.   Old skool metal delight. Such a complete album, couldn’t leave it off the list. The Fog
9. Melvins – Hold It In.   The Melvins never seem to run out of new ideas and new songs. I find myself being drawn to their more experimental material, which is mostly everything. This whole album is rich with new vibes and new melvins. You Can Make Me Wait
10. Prince – Art Official Age.   Weird as ever, but beautiful prince. Time

and I totally forgot – Helms Alee –  Sleepwalking Sailors!   Another amazing release by this band!

Honorable Mention: D’Angelo – Black Messiah.  Recent discovery, I’m really drawn to it, we’ll see how it stands the test of time for my taste. But I like the mix of soul, r/b, hip hop and everything else coming through.

Songs (10)

1. The Blind Shake – Old Lake (Revelation)
2. Tom Brosseau – Stuck On The Roof Again (Grass Punks)
3. Bob Mould – Forgiveness (Beauty and Ruin)
4. Castanets – It’s Good To Touch You in the Sunlight (Decimation Blues)
5. Reigning Sound – Never Coming Home (Shattered) (Tim)
6. Sharon Van Etten – Your Love is Killing Me (Are We There) This album came very close to my album list, but it’s hard to ignore the mediocre songwriting in between the good ones. I love the pathway to PJ Harvey in her style. Regardless, a great lp from an artist I was worried about.
7. Pig Destroyer – Mass and Volume (Mass and Volume) It’s not just that I got to see them perform this live, it’s truly EPIC!
8. Owls – Four Works Of Art (Two) I appreciate the SY vibe.
9. Goat – Goatchild (Commune)
10. Stian Westerhus and Pale Horses – On and On (Maelstrom) Okay, if we look beyond the Chris Cornell reflection, oh wait, it’s impossible. Still the song and album stuck with me this last couple months, but I’m about through with it. You can listen to this one on Spotify (please do).

Jazzzz (a baker’s dozen)
1. Made To Break – Cherchez La Femme
2. Audio One – The Midwest School/An International Report
3. Frode Gjerstad / Paal Nilssen-Love Project : Hasselt
4. Chicago Underground Duo – Locus
5. Balliser – Both Ends
6. Radius and Fred Lonberg-Holm – Just Outside The Door (p-rock, this is the one I pick for you, really amazing album, I will bring the vinyl for ya)
7. Peter Brotzmann / Sonny Sharrock – Whatthefuckdoyouwant?
8. Marc Ducret – The Evil Art contest
9. KonstruKt/Marshall Allen/Hüseyin Ertunç/Barlas Tan Özemek – Vibrations Of The Day
10. Tim Daisy – October Music (Vol 1) 7 Compositions For Duet
11. Mikolaj Trzaska & Tim Daisy – In The Moment
12. Ken Vandermark / Håvard Wiik / Chad Taylor – In the Abstract
13. Russ Johnson – Meeting Point

fin

moonra’s leaps and bounds

lp’s

1.  Sonic Youth – Murray Street It can be easily observed that SY had multiple leaps within their career, but I find Murray Street the most significant.  It could be argued that the addition of Jim O’Rourke in the band pushed them beyond their original limits, but I’m not going to take a stand on that.  I feel the cohesiveness between the production quality and the extended instrumental pieces helped the band find a significant leap that carried through to Sonic Nurse as well as Rather Ripped.  Empty Page and Rain On Tin

2.  Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique.  At the time I was all about the fun and games of License To Ill, however, when I purchased the cassette tape (I got the orange one) titled Paul’s Boutique I journeyed into the oblivion of amazement and wonder; wondering…  how f’n long did it take these guys to synthesize all these damn samples, it was completely brilliant.

3.  Eric Dolphy – Ironman.  I own a lot of Eric Dolphy and I have found his music appealing from his Prestige recordings and beyond.  However, it was the release of Ironman where I noticed he began to let himself completely go. The sounds and movements he ripped out in front of the vibes on this album completely changed his sound and direction; which lead to his stellar release Out To Lunch. Iron Man

4.  Silver Jews – American Water.  Not my personal favorite by the band (that would easily be Bright Flight), but probably the only album by the Silver Jews I would recommend to someone who never heard them before.  Overall, AW could be considered their perfect release.  It’s the kind of album that surprises me they didn’t completely blow up after it come out, but then again, they are the Silver Jews. Random Rules, We Are Real, Buckingham Rabbit.

5. Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.  Probably the first album I thought of when hit with this month’s theme.  Despite breaking out musically, I would like to point out that Tweedy’s writing essentially leaped as well, with deeper thoughts and connotations:  “I want to hold you in the Bible-black predawn. You’re quite a quiet, domino, bury me now. Take off your band-aid cause I don’t believe in touchdowns.”

6.  Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Inflated Tear.  This is the album where I feel Rahsaan opened himself up and exposed his inner secrets, musically, not lyrically.  True genius, and a leap reflecting outlook and direction.  The Inflated Tear, The Black and Crazy Blues.

7.  PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea.  I always admired PJ Harvey, but this album made me fall in love.  It captured my interest through storytelling and just a raw glimpse of NYC, told and sung through the throaty voice of this beautiful storyteller.  This lp opened the way to a series of her best work, in my opinion.  This Mess we’re In (w/ Thom York),   The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore

8.  Fugazi – Steady Diet Of Nothing.  I honestly went back and forth with Kill Taker and Steady Diet, but concluded that this was the album where Fugazi showed they were no longer pegged as a post punk/hardcore band, but rather much more diverse than what they represented earlier in their career.  Stacks, Long Division.

9.  Love – Forever Changes.  This album was a unique turn of events for Love and their attempt at taking things in a completely new direction, things were slowed…down… and touching! Alone Again Or

10.  The Rolling Stones – Exile On Mainstreet  John P-Rock may state that I am cursed by what I believe this album is and represents, therefore I am. All I will comment at this point is Exile = welcome to what music will never be again.

*11 Honorable Mention:  The Clash – Sandinista!  Goodbye 1979?  They touch upon just about every main style of music and do it all correctly.  Charlie Don’t Surf  Police On My Back  Rebel Waltz

Songs

1.  Beastie Boys – Finger Lickin’ Good.   I struggled not listing Check Your Head as an album, as once again it was a past obsession of mine.  I chose this song mainly of the genius sample of Dylan’s Just Like Tom thumb’s Blues, I will still occasionally play the song just to hear out the ending.

2.  David Bowie – Station to Station.  The career of Bowie for me was one surprise after another, especially for the first two decades.  Station To Station was a throw over the top.  I cannot express how much this song has influenced my life and how I listen to music.

3.  Bob Dylan – Idiot Wind.  About as badass as it gets for good ole bd, the never ending leaper.

4.  Joni Mitchell – River.  raw and smooth.

5. Radiohead – Let Down.  We all have our favorites, this song seemed to wrap everything together, and show the world that Radiohead is pretty much creatively capable of anything.

6.  Defiance, Ohio – You Are Loved.  New levels can be reached for any talented band, this is a perfect example of one.

7. Ghostigital – Sense Of Reason.  Maybe a bigger leap for me personally, but that’s sort of what this is all about, right??

8.  Joe Lally – Billiards.  I believe Joe Lally incorporated everything right within this track.  This song alone was a musical leap that should have changed his complete course, however, it stood out as more of a rare star, but incredible nonetheless.

9. Melvins – Shevil.  A leap to….. everything.

10.  Ornette Coleman – What Reason Could I Give / Civilization Day.  Ok, so I cheated a little by choosing two songs, but to me they go together, as I would never listen to the first without the second.  Like many of the “greats,” there are multiple periods of Ornette’s career I could have focused on regarding leaps, as he had many.  The Science Fiction Sessions always stood out for me a complete leap into the unknown for Ornette, and what I have always viewed as some of his best material.

*11.  ZU and Spaceways Inc. – Theme De Yoyo.  The true artist is always leaping, Ken Vandermark is a constant leaper as a band leader and musician.